832.852/92
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The Brazilian Ambassador61 called at his request. He made a very earnest plea for further consideration by the Navy of the application of his Government presented to Ambassador Caffery and other officials in the State Department for two or three light cruisers to patrol the South Atlantic. I explained to him that the Navy had seemingly failed to act favorably because of an utter lack of vessels which were needed for more urgent services elsewhere. I also made a similar explanation about the request of the Brazilian Government for additional merchant vessels.62 I said it would give me special satisfaction to urge the appropriate officials in the Government to review and reconsider further these two applications of the Brazilian Government. He expressed his appreciation.
I then said that I had kept in close touch with Ambassador Caffery in connection with the entire list of things the Brazilian Government desired from this Government and that I felt that we had made real progress in according favorable action on almost all of them, including material and equipment for a military force for the southern area. The Ambassador agreed as to this.